Episode 8

Hosted by Joe Lycett, The Great British Sewing Bee reaches its dramatic denouement as the three finalists compete for the title of Britain's best amateur sewer. They take on a trio of evening wear challenges. Bringing together a range of advanced sewing skills, from tailoring, to high-end designing and delicate handling of luxury fabrics, perfecting evening wear is a pinnacle for any home sewer. Judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young begin by asking the sewers to follow the most complex pattern yet – a double-breasted waistcoat. Even if they master the multitude of intricate processes, the sewers face the ultimate challenge of sewing blind, as the waistcoat must be stitched together inside-out, before one final, nail-biting reveal.

Next it is the sewers' final chance to show off their instinct for design in the transformation challenge, as they attempt to turn the domestic into the dramatic by repurposing net curtains into exquisite, red carpet-ready, pieces of evening wear.

Lastly, for the most important made-to-measure challenge of the competition, the sewers attempt to construct and fit glamorous strapless evening gowns for their models, this time hand-picked for friends and family. Creating a unique, jaw-dropping gown using yards of luxury fabric, suspended entirely from a fitted corset, will take a feat of daring construction and their most precise sewing yet. Once the final stitch is in place and the catwalk is over, the sewers' friends and family, along with past competitors, arrive to celebrate. But once the judges have made their decision, there can only be one winner.